While writing the final chapters of A Terminal Illness Primer for Caregivers, I realized that I’ve been working on these posts for nearly a year now. Today the final chapters: When the End Is Close, Just Be and After Words, are available here. It feels good to bring this project to a close.

My work isn’t quite finished, however. Within the next month or so, I will be offering A Terminal Illness Primer for Caregivers in pdf and Kindle formats. The published version includes additional chapters and information. 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the primer will be donated to the Charles A. Oliverio Fund at Huntsman Cancer Foundation. This fund was created from a bequest in my brother’s will, stipulating that a large portion of his estate be donated for the cause of research in the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme, a rare and extremely malignant form of brain cancer. Research in this area is woefully underfunded because of the relative rarity of the disease. My family, friends, and I are working to nourish this fund so that the doctors and researchers who treated my brother can find a cure for this killer – there is a 2% survival rate beyond three years. Totally unacceptable.

How you can help:

If you have any suggestions on what you’d like to see in the published version of the Primer, please let me know! What did I leave out? Are there areas that need additional information? Is it too personal? Not personal enough? I’ve read the darn thing so many times, my head is spinning!

If you’ve read A Terminal Illness for Caregivers here on my blog and found it helpful, I hope that you will consider writing a positive review on Amazon once the primer is published and available for purchase. I will be contacting some of you directly to ask for your help. These positive reviews will help other readers find the book.

6 thoughts on “A Terminal Illness Primer for Caregivers: The Last Chapters”

Excellent, Annie. It wasn’t until reading this last section of your primer that I began to think about it from the point of view of my own demise rather than that of a loved one. Having someone I love beside me holding my hand at the end is exactly what I would want to make me feel safe, comforted and loved. I think you did the very thing for Charles that anyone would want, and in writing this primer you’re helping others to do that too. The ebook is a terrific idea and I would be delighted to write a positive review for you.

Wow Annie. Your devotion to Charles is beyond inspiring.
You have clearly put so much into this writing and I’m sure it will be helpful for so many out there. I definitely think it should be turned into a hard copy book and sold in bookshops worldwide. Hope it can happen x

Thank you, sweet Emma. The experience of writing this has been so good for me – – it almost doesn’t matter it anyone else sees it. But…of course, I would love to be able to help fund more research into this disease. And make my brother proud. xoxo

I’m so glad you’ll be publishing all these thoughts and help for all of us. It’s such a taboo subject that must hit like a bullet when we actually have to make the process work in our lives. I’ve always been so sorry about your experiences with your brother Charles and yet, you are what you are now because of the strength and experiences you’ve gained. Sharing them all with us so personally and frankly must have been cathartic and of course painful at times. We love and respect your help and sharing. Can’t wait to see the final version available to everyone out there going through the pain and concerns that you’ve already traveled through. 😉 ♥